


not on my watch

by indemnis



Category: K-pop, Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Police, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Insults, Lawyer Hyungwon, Lawyers, Light Angst, M/M, Police, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-17 02:54:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12355977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indemnis/pseuds/indemnis
Summary: Yoo Kihyun is a brilliant police officer, and Jooheon will vouch for that.





	not on my watch

**Author's Note:**

> note: a lot of cursing, insults (not very nice ones), very very mild smut in the middle

“I’m a prosecutor, not a fucking miracle worker.” His gaze is sharp, challenging.

Kihyun sneers. “Really? With how much you guys play yourselves up to be, I wouldn’t expect anything less than finding a cure for cancer.”

The senior constable’s hand goes over his weapon, a habit, assurance that the pistol is still in its holster, then to his hips, and the prosecutor lets out a long sigh.

“Look, I know he’s annoying, and we’ve have been trying to lock him up for ages, but I have to follow the books, and you’re not making this any easier,” Hyungwon runs his long fingers through his chestnut brown hair, and Jooheon is in the corner, blinking unevenly, swallowing a large gulp of saliva as the events unfold before him.

Silence zaps through the room like the heavy, humid air after a storm, and Jooheon doesn’t dare to breathe.

“U-um, Kihyun sunbae, do you want to go out and have a cup of tea --”

Kihyun whips his head around to glare at the younger man, who cowers immediately into his own shell, and Hyungwon clicks his tongue in annoyance.

“You don’t have to be one hundred percent asshole to your partner, Yoo Kihyun. It’s not his fault we’re in this rut.” Hyungwon looks at Jooheon fondly, affection in his eyes, and the young constable doesn’t have the chance to express his thanks when his senior snaps.

“Yeah, because _you’re_ the reason we’re in this shithole, you incompetent piece of trash.”

Hyungwon draws in a sharp inhale and he’s ready to fire his way through with insults loaded in his machine gun, but Hyunwoo is not having any of that.

Hyunwoo is still on the Skype call with their party of three, and his entire face fills the screen, a face that now has hard lines forming along as he frowns.

“Kihyun. Hyungwon. Please stop fighting. We’re not five year-olds, and this group we’re talking about is filled with highly skilled individuals, backed up by a team of barristers who will try to push them through any loophole they can find. The last thing we want is for our own unit to turn against itself.”

The police prosecutor and the senior constable fall silent upon hearing the superintendent’s words, but it doesn’t stop Kihyun from shooting lasers in Hyungwon’s direction, the younger man holding his gaze, firing deadly glares back at him.

Jooheon is just sitting there, feeling like there are spikes on his seat, and he fidgets uneasily. It’s usual for them to break into tense fights like this -- Kihyun and Hyungwon are more often than not Tom and Jerry, ironic, considering they’re both on the same side of the law -- but it seems like the stress and pressure from the case is running a new high, and Jooheon rarely sees Kihyun looking so unnerved.

But if there was anything Jooheon knew about his senior, was that the man with the tiny frame never put up with anyone’s shit, perhaps the only similarity he shared with the police prosecutor, both of them Obstinate with a capital O.

Kihyun fidgets with his blue shirt and looks at his shoes for a moment, away from how Hyungwon is burning a hole in his face, and paces. He can’t keep still, restless, refused to sit when he entered the room. It’s distracting, but it’s just how he copes.

Hyunwoo sighs. “Okay, let’s go through the details again. Jooheon. You and Kihyun were patrolling around the area when you reported back to say that you had located Son Byung-ho, yes?”

Jooheon sits back up straight, says ‘Yes, Sir!’ loud enough for it to echo within the room.

Kihyun buries his face in his hands, scrubbing at his skin listlessly. It’s been the umpteenth time they have had to explain themselves -- they stuck to protocol: he yelled out ‘Police!’, told him to ‘stop or I’ll shoot’ before he fired. It’s not his fault Son Byung-ho, one of the major brains in the cartel, chose to run.

And it didn’t help that Kihyun was top of the class when it came to firearms in police academy. He’s an excellent shooter, could be a sniper for the SWAT Team if he fancied more danger. Why should it be his fault that Son Byung-ho is now paralysed from the waist down? Human garbage like him should be dead. He huffs out an angry breath and Hyunwoo is still bombarding Jooheon with questions, knowing that he’ll get nothing out of Kihyun.

It wasn’t that he was a poor employee, nor was he uncooperative. Kihyun just has a bit of a temper, which works lovely when he’s on the job -- sheer passion and brute force won him Best Constable in their district for three straight years. When they’re cracking cases and working in a team, though, he’s diabolical, human form of Satan himself, spawn of the devil, call it whatever you like.

Now, Chae Hyungwon, Head Prosecutor of the Seoul Police Force is not exactly a team member either, but if there was anything years of legal training have taught him, is that justice can’t be served with your own efforts.

He’s a die-hard pragmatic, Hyungwon, and he doesn’t fancy the after-work drinks, or the end-of-month dinner gatherings, but work is work, and if it gets the job done, he’ll put up with whatever character there is. In this case, Yoo Kihyun, who is proving to be a major pain in the fucking ass, insisting that he had followed protocol, that he shouldn’t have to deal with this shit, slewing curse word after curse word.

Hyungwon thinks it’s his guilt eating him up, maybe even fear of being suspended from work, but he’s not one to judge, even if he’s very, very brilliant at people-reading.

“Kihyun, you shot him in the lower back. Did you _take aim_ for the lower back?” Hyunwoo asks, and Jooheon sits there with bated breath, because Son Byung-ho’s legal team are attacking Kihyun, proposing that he had not followed protocol, did not ID himself as the police, did not give warning before shooting.

Whatever Kihyun’s saying now can be used against him in court, and Hyungwon needs to know what he knows to protect him.

It feels like shit knowing that he, Yoo Kihyun, elite senior constable, needs the protection of some lanky beanstalk guy who earns a living by opening his mouth (the fucking nerve), and the man is not working hard enough. He didn’t put up a good enough fight during the pre-trial hearing, and Kihyun is to take the stand in a few weeks’ time, a bunch of well-suited assholes questioning the professionality of his work. It fucking feels like shit, and Kihyun hates it. It pricks at every wrong nerve.

Kihyun has to try his best to not roll his eyes, because as much as he hates dealing with this, Hyunwoo is still his boss, and he’s trying to not get fired before his potential suspension.

“Of course I aimed for his lower back. I never miss.”

Hyungwon doesn’t understand the arrogance in his tone. Who the hell is he even showing off to; everyone in this room knows he’s capable of a wicked shot, and it’s probably what’s landed him in his predicament today.

Kihyun is a puzzle, a mystery, no matter the amount of time he’s known him for.

*****

“Sunbae, are you sure you’re okay?” Jooheon asks, concern in his eyes, still cowering a little from the snap that was thrown his way. Kihyun breathes, and his gaze is steely as he looks at Jooheon. Changkyun is lurking in the corner, trying to make himself scarce, but both of them know he's listening in.

“I’m sorry, for being mean just now. I’m stressed. Obviously. I’m in some hot soup. But I’m sorry. You didn’t need to deal with that.”

Jooheon’s eyes widen. He’s only been working with Kihyun fairly recently, just a little before the thing with Son Byung-ho happened -- that was their second week working together -- and it’s surprising to find, with how much of an acidic bite Kihyun had when he was all up to his neck with stress and pressure, that he was equally relenting outside of it, and quickly appeased, too. 

“N-no, it’s okay, it’s understandable. Are you sure you’re alright?” Jooheon asks, hand on his shoulder, and Kihyun lets out a breathy laugh, carding his fingers through his black locks.

“To be honest? No, not really. I’m trying my best to deal with stuff and this could be the end for me, you know, if they find me guilty of all that stuff they said I did or didn’t do. Like I could kiss that position for Chief Constable of Gangnam Station goodbye,” he says sadly. Jooheon sees the disappointment in his eyes, and he squeezes Kihyun’s shoulder lightly. He knows he's been talking about it for a couple of times now, and he had seemed so thrilled about it, babbling about it like an over-excited child, even during the long walks they shared in the direction of their homes after work.

“They initially arranged for an interview for the position next week, which they’ve now postponed indefinitely.” Kihyun’s voice is a whisper, and Jooheon’s heart clenches when Kihyun’s eyes are downcast, and he’s staring at his shoes again.

Jooheon doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know how to make things okay, but Kihyun perks up in seconds, swatting an arm in front of him as he shrugs, and Jooheon’s hand falls away from his shoulder.

“Bah, I’m such a downer.”

Jooheon smiles, and Kihyun stares at him, no more hard glares, just a look of resignation, and Jooheon feels so bad for him.

“No, you’re not. Do you want to grab a drink? It’ll make you feel better.” Changkyun's ears perk up at the mention of alcohol, and Jooheon tries his best to not laugh.

Kihyun hikes up an eyebrow.

“I mean, I’ll buy.”

Kihyun laughs, just slightly, at his afterthought, and shakes his head. “As much as I’d love to take up your offer, I don’t hold my alcohol all that well, and we have work tomorrow. Would hate to turn up with a hangover.”

Jooheon presses his lips together, eyes widening ever so slightly, but he just nods.

“Okay, sunbae.”

Kihyun just grins and walks back to his desk, documents sitting neatly on the side, a coffee mug next to it, a stack of manila folders in a neat pile, a generally well-tidied workspace. He picks up his coat and puts his arm through it, Jooheon slowly returning to his seat -- he has a bit more paperwork to do -- and Kihyun throws his bag over his shoulder, heading to the locker room to change out of his uniform.

“Oh, and Jooheon?”

“Yes, sunbae?”

Kihyun smiles. “Just call me hyung when we're at work.”

Yoo Kihyun is truly a mystery, and Jooheon can’t keep the smile off his face.

“Okay, hyung.”

*****

Jooheon does a spin in his swivel chair; the office is mostly empty except for a few other people, and he can’t get the image of Kihyun looking so dejected out of his head. The paperwork he’s promised to hand in tomorrow is completed, but he finds himself still here, in the office, trying to sort his head out.

He gets up and walks towards the pantry, only to find Hyungwon still in the meeting room that they’ve let him use specially while the Son Byung-ho case is still ongoing, flipping through some documents and the pages of a very thick book, his eyes focused as he sucks on his lower lip.

Jooheon heads to the pantry anyway, and throws out the tea bag of a scalding cup of Earl Grey, before going back. He leans by the open door of the meeting room and knocks, jolting Hyungwon out of his concentration. The brown-haired man looks up to find that it’s Jooheon, and returns to the sea of words.

“Oh. It’s just you.”

Jooheon laughs. He knows Hyungwon quite well from his previous designation in HQ, where they worked on a few cases together, and the older man had nothing but affection for him, even if he appeared a little cold and stoic.

Hyungwon sniffles. “What do you want?” he asks, eyes never leaving the text, and Jooheon knows, from experience, that Hyungwon is a master at multitasking, and that his presence is nothing more than another _thing_ Hyungwon has to deal with.

“Just wondering why you’re still here. It’s late.”

Hyungwon’s eyes flicker from the document to the book, index finger tracing the line he’s reading so as to make sure that he’s not missing anything.

“I landed Senior Constable Yoo in that state. I have to take a bit of responsibility for it. Otherwise I’ll really be an incompetent piece of trash,” Hyungwon jokes, remembering the insult Kihyun had thrown his way during the conference, and how his anger had boiled up so quickly he was ready to completely tear him apart with his gift of glib. He looks up momentarily at Jooheon, whose expression hardens.

“Could say the same for you. Why are you still around?”

“Oh, uh. Had this report to hand up tomorrow in the morn.” He fidgets, the mug still in his hand, smoke billowing from the liquid, and he stares at it for a while, entranced.

“Don’t you have anything else to do other than stand around at my door?” Hyungwon asks, chewing on the end of a pen, a bad habit that seems horribly unhygienic. Jooheon shudders at the thought of the amount of germs Hyungwon is inviting into his mouth.

He swallows, and looks at the mug again.

“Don’t -- ” Hyungwon is still not looking at him, but maybe it’s better. “Don’t hate Kihyun hyung, please? He’s just… he’s stressed. Afraid, even. He might get suspended and stuff and he’s kind of just temperamental. I’m sure he doesn’t mean any of the stuff he said. He just apologised to me for flaring up; I promise he’s a lot nicer than you think.”

Jooheon wishes the tea wouldn’t be so hot so he could at least sip on it and try to look a little nonchalant, but instead he’s just cupping the mug and holding it close, standing and staring awkwardly at the older man.

Hyungwon sniffles again. “I know.”

Jooheon frowns. “What do you mean?”

Hyungwon furrows his brows together, and finally pushes the book away, pulling the pair of glasses away from his face, massaging the bridge of his nose with his fingers. “I know. All of that. That he’s stressed. Afraid. Temperamental. That he doesn’t mean any of the stuff he said. That he’s a lot nicer than I think he is.”

Jooheon presses his lips together, frown still etched in his features. “Wait, so you don’t hate him?”

Hyungwon laughs, a tired one. “I know you took him to be someone to hold grudges, but I can’t believe you think the same of me.”

Jooheon’s eyes widen, then he realises Hyungwon is kind of amazing at people-reading, a psychic, even, and he relaxes into himself before sulking. “It’s not my fault you guys literally look like you’re gonna rip off each other’s heads during every conference so far!”

Hyungwon smiles, massaging his temples now. “We don’t get along very well when it comes to serious stuff. He’s too… sensitive. Like when it comes to work, he always wants everything nice and timely and perfect and expects everyone to do that too, and it’s fucking annoying. Kicks up a fuss when things don’t go his way. Don’t need to deal with his perfectionist prissy ass.”

Jooheon laughs, because it’s true, and Kihyun is certainly not the easiest person to work with. The results of working with him, though -- if you’re able to put up with his overbearing and bossy nature -- are kind of amazing.

It’s what forced his previous partners to shut up about him, and why he’s achieved so much in such a short period of time, even if he’s not much of a team member, a point of weakness in his career so far.

“You sound like you know him very well.” Jooheon sips on the tea now, noting the way Hyungwon is eyeing his drink hungrily, a hint of something in his voice Hyungwon cannot identify.

The lawyer hums, easing himself into his seat. “A little. We, uh, met in uni. A criminology unit. Or something.” Hyungwon seems to be thinking of something, still chewing on the end of his pen, then he laughs. “We were grouped together for this project. I think that was the first time we worked together.”

He looks up at Jooheon, who’s been surprised for way too many times today. “Kihyun hyung didn’t tell me you guys were classmates.” Envy? Jealousy? Hyungwon’s still confused.

Hyungwon nods, but his mind is elsewhere, and he twirls his pen between his fingers, flashy and quick. Jooheon slurps on his tea now, and Hyungwon looks at the scatter of papers on his desk.

“Yeah. But I mean. It’s just work.” The lawyer waves an arm and Jooheon’s head bobs up and down, hesitant, like he has something more to add. But he doesn’t.

“I’m glad you don’t hate him though,” Jooheon comments, and Hyungwon rubs his hand over his arm, scratching at his elbow, before his phone buzzes, and he glances at it momentarily. His eyes widen fractionally and he picks it up, fingers tapping on the screen quickly. He gets up as Jooheon’s eyes follow him, and he starts packing up, stuffing paperwork into his leather briefcase.

Jooheon just stands there, drinking his tea as he watches Hyungwon pack, the lawyer humming a light tune under his breath.

He’s so young, Jooheon thinks, to be so capable. In fact, their whole office is filled with such capable people: Kihyun, an ace shooter, a tenacious and righteous senior constable; Hyungwon, an excellent lawyer, the kind that could talk his way out of anything; Hyunwoo, a fair leader, protective of his force while pushing for them to do their best; Changkyun, detective and profiler, capable of analysing the sick mentality behind the criminals, putting himself in their shoes.

He’s a little quirky, especially when he’s running experiments and re-enacting crime scenes; Jooheon’s found him in way too many compromising situations: the one where he tied himself up in a wet basement of a dilapidated house, or the one where he stuffed himself in a suitcase and got Jooheon to push him down a flight of stairs.

And then there’s Jooheon, constable, and he likes to think his advantages are in his interview skills, the way he pushes and pulls, loops and hoops that get the suspects to confess, an admirable skill Kihyun had always been eager to master. He supposes he’s similar to Hyungwon in that way, manipulative with their words.

Hyungwon is wearing his blazer and blows his fringe away from his eyes, a single eyebrow raised at Jooheon still standing there. “Eh. Go home.”

The blonde constable looks up at Hyungwon, who’s walking towards him, his belongings all packed and there’s an air of pure fatigue, the stress of the day’s events finally bearing its weight down on them.

The light outside flickers, and Jooheon regards Hyungwon with ambivalence.

“You… you’re going to do your best to help Kihyun hyung, right?” He’s afraid, perhaps even more afraid than Kihyun himself, his heart learning to embrace the senior, despite his pricks and thorns, despite his fences built skyward.

Hyungwon smirks. “I’m getting him out of trouble. Don’t worry too much.” He places a reassuring hand on Jooheon’s shoulder, and the younger boy lets out a sigh of relief. He didn’t know what he was assuming, maybe that Hyungwon would deliberately do Kihyun in just because they’ve sparred verbally a couple of times.

He feels guilty almost immediately, of having presumed Hyungwon to be such a petty character, one that didn’t know how to differentiate work from personal life. The brown-haired man just smiles, like he reads Jooheon’s mind, and shrugs.

“It’s okay. He’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Thanks Hyungwon.”

He frowns. “Hey, why don’t you call _me_ hyung?”

“’cuz you’re annoying.”

Hyungwon scowls, looking like a child when he does. “’scuse you,” he mutters, flicking Jooheon in the forehead, and the blonde man laughs.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Hyungwon asks, turning back to look at Jooheon, and the officer nods, staring at his empty mug, and then back at Hyungwon.

“Yeah. See you tomorrow, hyung.”

Hyungwon grins, runs back to pull Jooheon into a headlock, and ruffles his blonde hair as the younger man yelps, screams “hyung!”

Throes of laughter from Hyungwon, shouts of help from Jooheon, deafening, reverberating in the empty office. “You rascal. Bye.”

And the brown-haired man disappears into the shadows of the night, Jooheon still hugging his mug, smile still on his lips.

*****

He’s on his way home and it’s late, close to midnight. His muscles are tense, and he rolls his shoulders, easing out the tension, stretching it to the left, to the right.

He deliberates on getting a cup of Iced Americano, but the idea of caffeine at 11:47PM sounds deterring, even if he’s had so much of it he highly doubts it does anything to his sleep anymore. It takes a bit of pacing in front of the cafe, just thinking it through, before his eyes catch a familiar figure.

It’s Kihyun, in the same outfit he’s appeared in the morning before his shift, and he’s nursing a hot drink, looking around almost furtively, like he’s afraid of being caught, like he shouldn’t be seen around.

Jooheon frowns. It’s not exactly like Kihyun _lied_ and said that he wanted to have an early night when he rejected Jooheon’s invitation for a drink, but it still leaves a sour aftertaste at the back of his tongue, an unsettling notion that maybe Kihyun just doesn’t like spending more time with him.

It’s silly, he knows, but it’s a thought process he can’t evade, and he stills, eyes trained on Kihyun, his small frame caving into the armchair. He looks nervous, lower lip worried between his teeth, and he’s swallowing hard, uneasy, fingers tapping on his mug impatiently as he holds it up and puts it to his mouth, foam staining the sides of his lips.

A shadow of an equally familiar figure heads towards his table from the counter, an iced drink in hand, and he looks breathless, a smile gracing his face as he sits opposite Kihyun, thick lips wrapping around the straw and he says something.

Jooheon looks at Kihyun, who’s reacting to what he’s just said, and there is a moment where it all stops, paused, like the world stops between all three of them, and then Kihyun breaks into a radiating smile, teeth showing, eyes curving into crescents, dimples showing near his cheeks, and he visibly lets out a sigh. His shoulders are hunched.

He looks relieved. Glad. Reassured. A look Jooheon hadn’t seen over the past few months ever since the Son Byung-ho thing happened, and the bitter taste rises to his throat, and he wants to spit it out, only he doesn't know how to.

Because opposite Kihyun sits Chae Hyungwon, chestnut brown hair, big grin, and Jooheon feels jittery even without the shot of caffeine in him.

*****

“You look rough.” Changkyun munches on a slice of apple, perched on the edge of Jooheon’s messy desk, the older man slumped in his seat after having passed on the report he’d slogged his ass over.

He can’t bring himself to perk up, like a constant dip in his energy levels, and Changkyun knows things are really wrong when Jooheon doesn’t brighten up at the mention of soondae gukbap for lunch.

“What’s up?” Changkyun asks, even though he’s already caught Jooheon staring at Kihyun and Hyungwon multiple times through the morning, unease written all over his face. He can at least guess what’s up, but the way he analyses people and barges into their heads is not something that’s always welcomed.

“Did you know Kihyun hyung and Hyungwon hyung were close?” Jooheon asks, shaking his head when Changkyun offers him a piece of fruit, and the younger man nods.

“Sort of, yeah.”

Jooheon narrows his eyes. “What do you mean, ‘sort of’?” He feels like he’s missing out on a secret, and that bothers him.

The man shrugs. “It means I sort of know. I think? I guess? I never asked them explicitly, but it’s not hard to tell. They talk to each other in the pantry. Laugh at some jokes together. Back before the Son Byung-ho case happened they were more civil during conferences.”

He sees Jooheon’s eyes widen and he chuckles. “I know. It seems impossible when you look at them now, hey? But they’re actually pretty okay.”

“Okay enough to grab a coffee together at midnight?” Jooheon asks, not insinuating anything, but Changkyun tilts his head to the side, a little taken aback, a pretty novel concept, considering he’s the brain (read: psychic) of the Central Seoul Station.

“I wouldn’t know. I never really bothered with them in that way. You, however. _You_.” He sounds interested, like he’s intrigued, and he presses his lips together, almost in admiration.

“I never thought of you as one to gossip.”

Jooheon’s cheeks redden. “I -- I don’t. I mean, no -- that’s not --”

Changkyun throws his head back as he guffaws loudly, enjoying how Jooheon looks flustered, his hands in front of him, shaking his head along with them.

“Relax.” He leans in closer. “I won’t tell them you’re a bigger gossipmonger than the cleaning ahjummas.”

His cheeks turn a darker shade of red, and Changkyun cannot stop laughing. It’s amusing to wind Jooheon up. Changkyun thinks this new addition to the district is a breath of fresh air.

*****

“You’re here,” Kihyun states more than asks, and the man nods, confident, not wondering if he should be elsewhere.

“Yeah. I’m here.”

Kihyun frowns. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be at the station? You know, working?”

He laughs, and Kihyun lets him wrap his arms around his frame, hands coming together to rest at his hip bone, gentle.

“Everyone needs a break, Ki. I’m not a damn robot.”

The officer rolls his eyes. “Yeah, okay, keep using me as an excuse for your laziness,” he complains, but doesn’t say more when the man buries his nose in the crook of his neck, taking in a deep breath.

He steadies him, in a way no one else does, like a sturdy rock in the midst of a storm, and Kihyun has to hold on tight, can’t let go -- won’t let go.

There's a quiet buzz in his pant pocket, and Kihyun fishes out his phone. The backlight illuminates both their faces, and he can read the name of the message sender. He presses his lips together.

"You guys are close, huh? Didn't hear you mention about it before." Kihyun thinks he hears a hint of jealousy in his voice, but doesn't read too much into it.

"Yeah. I mean. You know how I am. Outside of work I'm still civil. I guess it's natural we're closer because we're working together now?" He shrugs, obviously doesn't think much of it, but there is still underlying tension between them. Kihyun doesn't comment on it.

"I mean, you're a menace to work with. I'm surprised he's even friends with you."

Kihyun makes a face. "I'm flattered." They laugh.

“That thing you stayed back to do. You finished it?” A light hum of agreement.

“Have you had dinner?” Kihyun asks, his voice a whisper, and the head resting on his shoulder shakes. He sighs. “I told you to take care of yourself. Eat meals regularly.”

The man stays silent. “I’m worried. You know how my appetite gets when I get worried. Even gukbap doesn’t do it. It’s the worst.”

Kihyun swallows. He knows it’s his fault that tension is running so high, that everyone’s all strung up, ready to lash out at anyone who bothers them even the slightest. It’s all his fault, the way everyone at the station worries for him, their best officer, being put on the stand, the credibility of the Seoul Police on his shoulders. If he falls, they fall.

“I wish I was of more help.”

Kihyun breathes against his cheek. “You’re already doing your best.”

He looks up at him, eyes spelling more words than his lips could ever utter, and Kihyun remembers why he had fallen in love with him, every glance more breath-taking than the previous one.

“What if my best is not enough?”

Kihyun tries his best to not let his fear show, but it’s so difficult. He wants to at least stay strong for him, if only for the last time.

“You’re always enough,” Kihyun says, craning his neck to place a quick kiss on his lips, doesn’t stop himself when he kisses back, doesn’t halt when he slips his tongue in, tasting caramel on Kihyun.

He tastes like coffee and mint, a strange fusion that melts on Kihyun’s tongue, and they shift, Kihyun throwing his arms over his shoulder and deepening the kiss, pulling him closer.

It’s not a matter of life and death, he knows, but being a police officer is everything Kihyun had wanted to be, and the idea of being anything but that makes his heart sink.

It sucks, every last muscle he’d pulled, every last piece of skin he’d scraped, just to make sure that his resilience would overcome the obstacles that his scrawny, smaller-than-everyone-else frame posed.

He had gritted his teeth and shed every drop of blood, sweat, tears; he wasn’t going to let it all up now, not now, at the peak of his career, a forthcoming advancement in the ranks.

He yearns, a sort of desperation that flows out from him unconsciously, and he growls against his lips, and he jumps, legs coming around Kihyun’s waist.

They kiss lazily, messily, Kihyun placing pecks against his neck, then he sucks, satisfied that it’s going to leave a mark the next morning. He listens to his eager mewls, and they reach the bedroom, Kihyun still leaving open-mouthed kiss over every piece of skin he finds.

Their eyes meet, and Kihyun realises he’s beautiful, that he may lose his career and everything else he finds precious in this life, but he’d still have him, sprawled over the bed with tears forming in his eyes, grabby hands for Kihyun to come closer so he can kiss him some more.

“I love you,” he cries out, when Kihyun pushes in, his breath hot and heavy near his ear, something that takes Kihyun aback, because he’s not normally someone like that. He doesn’t pronounce romance well, the words stuck at his throat, heavy on his tongue.

It’s okay, because Kihyun doesn’t take them well, his ears running red every time he mumbles it teasingly when they peck each other on the lips before heading to work.

Kihyun cries. He cries when he comes, and then he’s wrapping his arms around him protectively, holding him through his breakdown, weeks and weeks of emotional distraught crashing onto him like a giant tsunami.

Kihyun holds on tight to his rock, who catches him as he falls, who runs his thumb over his cheek and catches his tears with his lips. He tells him it’s okay, that it’ll be alright, that he’ll be here no matter what, and while Kihyun cannot hear through the white noise, the pounding in his chest, the incessant thoughts in his head, he’s here, his touch is warm and soothing, and Kihyun thinks it’s enough.

The tears stop falling, and Kihyun is sniffling, the rings around his eyes red. His grip doesn’t loosen, and Kihyun swallows.

“I’m sorry. For being difficult. You know. I already apologised just now, but I just --”

“I thought we agreed to not talk about work.”

“Yeah. But I think I might have went too far, you know? I don’t want to hurt anyone. It’s just… I’m trying.”

He breathes, sighs against the top of his head, holds Kihyun against his bare chest. “I know. I don’t blame you. I’m sure the rest of them understand as well.”

Silence. Kihyun’s breathing is relaxed, and for someone who plays with words, knows what to say at any given circumstance, for the first time, he doesn’t. Doesn’t know how to make it all okay.

“We’ll be alright, right?” Kihyun asks, glancing up to look into Hyungwon’s eyes, and the brown-haired man nods, chin on his scalp.

“Yeah. I’ll protect you. We’ll be alright, baby.”

*****

Taking the stand is a lot scarier than he had imagined. The lawyers on Son Byung-ho’s end are like famished hyenas, latching onto Kihyun’s every word, leading him on with another question, only backing down when Hyungwon shouts out an objection.

His face is numb when the hyena says ‘that’s the end of my questions, Your Honour’, his fingers trembling as he puts his hand over his holster, a habit. Jooheon is next to take the stand for his statement, vouching for Kihyun and his actions that day.

He can feel Hyungwon’s gaze trained on him, worried, wondering if he’s coping okay, but he has to sort himself out when Jooheon takes the stand, swearing himself in.

They break for lunch and Kihyun’s face is pale when they walk out of the courtroom, Hyungwon quick to hold onto him by the elbow, and Kihyun whips around to look at him, his head spinning as he does.

“Hey. You okay?” Hyungwon’s voice is overflowing with concern, and Kihyun takes a few seconds to think about it as his head stops spinning, and he nods, albeit hesitantly.

“I’m alright. You think it’ll be okay?”

Hyungwon nods, expression serious, no trace of a joke on his face, and Kihyun knows it’s his I’m-at-work face, a face that never shows up when he’s cuddling with Kihyun at home.

They had talked about it extensively, which is why Hyungwon is located in HQ while Kihyun keeps his distance and does his job in the station, where the chances of them working together can be kept to a bare minimum.

The Son Byung-ho case, however, is something they’ve worked on collectively for ages, the liaison mostly between Hyunwoo and Hyungwon, but then Kihyun had to get involved, and Jooheon as well, and prior to their collaboration, they had sat down and talked about the importance of separating work and private life.

At work, Yoo Kihyun is Hyungwon’s insufferable archnemesis, an absolute pain in the ass. At home, Kihyun cooks dinner for them both and they watch some Netflix in the evenings with some ice cream and some cuddles.

Kihyun is difficult at work, but Hyungwon is not there to tell him how to do his job, and being a lawyer has only honed his skills in extricating himself from any of his cases. A tedious task, not any less challenging, but pivotal to their relationship.

“Like I’ve said. He’s only pulling this trick so they get to push back the dates for the criminal charges against him. Their heart is not in this, although they’d love to bring you down with them if they could, so our big fight will be in the one where we press charges. Right now he’s just playing. It wouldn’t matter all too much to him even if they lose. Which they will.”

Kihyun knows Hyungwon. He’s known him for so long, and despite the cursory slews towards him and his general ‘incompetence’, the Hyungwon he knows is the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the elite in the sea of mediocrity.

He has absolute faith in him, in his integrity, in his abilities, as a person, even if he’s not the most impressed by how the prosecution office does things.

“Okay,” Kihyun replies simply, and Hyungwon looks around before pressing a kiss against his cheek. “I promised, baby. You’re well-protected. They’re not gonna hurt you. Not under my watch.”

“I trust you.” Kihyun goes on his tippy toes and kisses Hyungwon on the lips, both of them oblivious to a Jooheon looking at them on the side, his jaw almost dislocating from how widely he’s opening his mouth.

*****

“I regret everything. Doing overtime and shit to save your stupid dumbass, when I could have been sleeping, only for you to show me this absolute disrespect,” Hyungwon is frowning, lines forming across his forehead, and Kihyun is at least a head shorter, his voice bigger than his person.

“Yeah? Then why not try harder, you dickwad, because your dumbass office can’t even do _this_ right, like are you fucking kidding right now? Why do you guys call yourselves prosecutors when you can’t even stand on the right side of the law? Serving justice? Bullshit! You guys are a bunch of tax leeches, seriously. Just do your damn fucking job, will you?”

Jooheon is trying to keep himself as far away as possible from the war site, for fear of becoming collateral damage, and while Changkyun is intelligent and insightful and puts up a good fight, somehow the both of them have ended up taking cover behind one of the furthest desks away from Hyungwon’s office.

“I think working at the Gangnam office really stressed Kihyun hyung out,” Jooheon whispers, ignoring the strange glances the other staff members are shooting them, and Changkyun nods.

“If you thought you’d seen the last of Yoo Kihyun’s temper, apparently it’s only because they haven’t shot him with gamma rays yet. He’s like the Hulk, man. It’s terrifying how someone so tiny can be so incredibly angry.”

Jooheon stares at Changkyun.

“The Hulk’s huge, though.”

Changkyun thinks about it for a good second. “Yeah, okay, bad analogy. He’s crazy, though.”

“Yeah. Don’t even know how they’re dating. Every time they meet at work it’s like he’s ready to tear out his head from the rest of his body. It’s insane.”

Changkyun’s eyes widen. “Wait. So you know?”

Jooheon looks at him and scowls. “Know what?”

“That they’re a thing?” he gestures casually to the couple who’re still spitting fire at each other in the office, the Chief Constable of Gangnam Station having to come to HQ to talk to the Chief Prosecutor, because apparently one of his subordinates were ‘incompetent’, and ‘I can’t believe I have to deal with their mistakes and wipe your ass because you can’t be a better supervisor’.

Changkyun joined the special task force and was transferred back to HQ. Jooheon was just here to invite him to lunch. Somehow they’ve found themselves here again, all four of them, five, if you count Hyunwoo in his office, blocking out their argument, waiting for someone to complain about the noise before he would have to step in.

It says a lot if even the superintendent of the state’s police force is reluctant to go anywhere near their squabbling.

“Yeah.” Jooheon doesn’t elaborate, and Changkyun looks impressed. “What?” he scowls again, and he knows it’s not a flattering look, but it’s just Changkyun. It’s not like he has anyone to impress.

“Nothing.” The younger man returns to watching the two scream each other’s heads off, taking on a comfortable squat. “Just didn’t know you’d catch on so quickly.”

Jooheon rubs at his nose with the back of his hand. “How did _you_ know?”

Changkyun rolls his eyes. “It’s my fricking job to analyse people and their relationships. I knew half an hour into their first meeting at HQ. I think this whole quarrelling thing,” he sticks out his lower lip in their general direction, “is just like one of those things couples do. Some communicate with gifts, letters, kisses, loving words.”

“And their communication method is insults?”

Changkyun throws a judgemental glance. “Hey, no kink shaming under my watch.”

Jooheon turns a bright pink, and Changkyun laughs, holding himself back from pinching his cheeks.

*****

“Hey hyung.”

Kihyun looks up from his paperwork and finds the younger man by the door, his hair now a dark brown, and it looks good on him. “Jooheon!” he greets, pleasantly surprised as he walks over to the door and pulls him into a hug.

“How are you!” he grins, and Jooheon reflects it. He’s never been able to resist Kihyun’s warm smiles, and he shrugs, the ends of his lips pulling up. “Alright, I guess, I’m applying for the role of Senior Constable. Like. I don’t know if I’ll get it, but. You know?”

Kihyun’s eyes twinkle, and he hugs him again. “That’s so exciting Jooheon! I’m sure you’re going to get it. Let me know if you need a reference, okay? I’ll be happy to write you one.”

Jooheon nods eagerly, scratching at the back of his head, and Kihyun ruffles his hair, finding the younger more endearing than anything, a constant youthful spark in his presence.

“What brings you to Gangnam Station?” he asks, offering Jooheon a glass of water that the younger man accepts with a quiet thanks, and they’re seated by the sofa. Kihyun has an office of his own, wow. Jooheon can’t keep the envy down, but also the pride of having a hyung like him.

“Ah, I was just dropping something off for Minhyuk hyung.”

Kihyun’s interest piques. “Oh. Minhyuk? You’re close with him?”

Jooheon smiles. “Eh. Yeah. He was my senior in university. Helped me out quite a lot back then, and he had a favour to ask, so I just ran an errand for him, that’s all.”

Kihyun smiles. “Sounds nice.”

There’s a short exchange of some small talk, and Kihyun is listening intently to Jooheon explain his new case, and how the Central Seoul Station is coping. Apparently they’re doing well, and HQ has sent down some orders about keeping tabs on the cartel, so they’ll probably work together again soon.

Kihyun expresses his anticipation and Jooheon echoes it, joking about the times they patrolled together, Jooheon teasing Kihyun about ‘look where you are now’, the older man blushing a deep shade of pink, but laughing anyway.

“Baby, I really need you to deal with this boner right now. Can you just scream some really harsh insults when you fuck, because today’s been so -- oh holy mother of god.”

Hyungwon’s hand is still on the doorknob and he looks mortified, Kihyun equally chagrined, the blush on his face turning a darker shade, and the couple exchanges looks.

“What the fuck, Hyungwon,” Kihyun states, in his not-dealing-with-your-bullshit voice, resignation in his words, and Hyungwon just smiles awkwardly, blinking a couple more times to make sure that there is indeed another person next to Kihyun, a Lee Jooheon, who throws him a look of strong contempt, and then another of sheer repugnance at Kihyun.

“You guys are disgusting,” Jooheon says, teasing, as he rolls his eyes, like he’s wondering why his hyungs are so completely insufferable, and God, if this were anyone else sitting here, they’d be so fucked.

Imagine Hyunwoo having to listen to all of that. Jesus. Jooheon doesn’t even want to imagine it.

Kihyun jerks his head to the side in surprise. “Hold on. You know about us?”

Jooheon copies his movement and narrows his eyes. “Uh, yeah, when you two made out outside the courtroom? That one was sweet, once I got over the shock. But this one? Yeah, no, it’s ugh no matter how I think of it.”

Kihyun breathes, holds it. “You… does anyone else know?”

“Changkyun. But to be honest, he said he knew about it half an hour into your first meeting in front of him, so. I’m not a big mouth.” He glowers, like he had assumed the question was posed because Kihyun thought he would go and spread it. Trust is dead, so is friendship.

“Oh.” Kihyun finally breathes, and Hyungwon places his bag on the seat near Kihyun’s desk, walking over to plop himself on the arm of the couch Kihyun’s on, arm around Kihyun’s shoulder.

“What shall we do with him and Changkyun, now that they know our secret? We can’t let them live to tell the tale.” Hyungwon asks as he deadpans, the intensity of a cold-blooded killer, and while Jooheon knows he’s not serious, a chill runs down his spine.

Kihyun swats at his arm as he breaks into a smile, and looks back at Jooheon, who’s regarding them with part disgust and part envy.

“Is it a big deal? To keep it a secret?” Jooheon asks, his voice small, and Hyungwon and Kihyun exchange glances again, like they know what the other is thinking. It’s a little creepy if it wasn’t mostly cute.

“Well. I was honest with Hyunwoo, who thinks it’ll be okay as long as we don’t work too closely together. I mean. From how we literally hurl each other insults every time we meet, I think it’s safe to say we’ve vanquished any last possibility of us appearing to be a couple.” Kihyun laughs, and Hyungwon tags along.

“Changkyun knew.”

Kihyun rolls his eyes. “Can’t believe you actually took his word for it. All three of us have known each other since university, y’know. Changkyun was actually our matchmaker; the little dipshit locked us into a room and forced us to be honest with our feelings.”

Jooheon tries his best to not look surprised, but it’s proving to be very difficult. Hyungwon mirrors his expression and chortles, Jooheon reaching out an arm to slap him.

“He _is_ a little dipshit,” Jooheon says, feeling betrayed, and Kihyun agrees before continuing. “But you know how it is. The image of the police force is not something we can joke around with, and the fewer people who know, the better it is. So we work as far away as possible from each other, so we keep interaction to a minimum, so we don’t get accused of playing favouritism and stuff.”

Jooheon listens, observes how Hyungwon’s fingers curl into Kihyun’s shoulder, his thumb rubbing circles along his skin, and Kihyun leans ever so slightly towards him, his expression calm.

“You’re good for each other.” Jooheon announces finally, and Kihyun and Hyungwon look at each other, Kihyun realising why he had fallen in love with him in the first place. Hyungwon’s smile is small, beautiful, and he leans down to kiss Kihyun on the lips, soft and warm, like his presence.

“Maybe tune the insult kink down, okay?”

Hyungwon guffaws as Kihyun reddens, and he kisses him again, arm wrapping around Hyungwon’s thin waist, holding on to his single support in all the chaos of the world.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to be really sneaky with the tags but I'm not sure if I kept it under wraps well enough yoiiii anyway will i ever stop trying to write all the rarepairs with kihyun in them?? i don't know i would write chae x kihyun any day they're so cute sigh this is my method of getting people to read a pairing they're not even interested in but i just wanted to write because i'm a snake tru story
> 
> i told u i have a thing for lawyer!hyungwon - fic count so far with lawyer!hyungwon in them: 3 out of 7 actual mx fics  
> what an achievement
> 
> btw if i mess up anything to do with the police force and positions and whatnot, i am sorry! i will probably not change them anyway because laziness, but yeah.  
> also my titles. get it?? on my watch?? police?? and like... protective chae? over ki? haHA IM SO FUNNY  
> might make this a series. who knows. what an amazing au. more excuses for me to procrastinate on my wips.  
> ps. both jooheon and hyungwon like gukbap. so do i. a coincidence? i think not. i really want some gukbap now.
> 
> kudos and comments are always appreciated!


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